Title: Crimson Thrones: Volume 143 – Reflections of War
By Sabbir Ahmed
The Mirror of Forgotten Truths pulsed like a living thing, black ripples spreading across its surface, swallowing light and memory alike.
As the Unforgotten stepped closer, illusions assaulted them—not with violence, but with certainty. Children who had trained together now saw one another as enemies. Allies appeared as traitors. Every choice they had ever made became suspect. Even Kaelen and Seraphine felt the Mirror's pull, their shared memories twisting into shadows of doubt.
The child of continuity stood between them and the Mirror, calm as ever. "You must anchor yourselves in what is real," they said. "Even if it burns."
Seraphine grasped Kaelen's hand. His eyes, filled with centuries of memory, met hers. "If we fall here," she said, "we lose more than lives. We lose who we are."
Kaelen nodded. "Then we fight as one."
The Unforgotten raised their minds as shields, weaving a tapestry of shared memory that pushed back the Mirror's illusions. The shadows screamed, warping into shapes drawn from fear, anger, and desire. Seraphine's blade cut through spectral betrayals, each strike reaffirming what was real. Kaelen's quiet fire flared, stabilizing the battlefield, threading truth through the chaos.
But the Mirror was cunning. It reflected not only fear, but possibility. Suddenly, Seraphine saw herself betraying Kaelen, choosing the throne over him. Kaelen saw himself abandoning her to save the kingdom. Every vision threatened to break them from within.
The child of continuity stepped forward, placing a hand upon the Mirror. Their voice rang clear, unwavering: "Memory is not a prison. It is a weapon. Turn it upon itself."
The Mirror quaked. Reflections shattered, illusions collapsing under the strength of unity and truth. One by one, the Unforgotten saw clearly again, their minds synchronized, hearts tethered to reality.
In a final surge, Kaelen and Seraphine pushed forward together, the quiet fire and their love converging like a blade of pure light. The Mirror screamed, then shattered into fragments, scattering across the cavern like broken stars.
Silence fell. The Unforgotten, shaken but unbroken, gathered themselves. The child of continuity looked at them and said simply:
"The test is over. But the war for memory never ends."
Beyond the cavern, the Shrouded Veil watched, silent, plotting. Their weapon destroyed—but their resolve unbroken.
Veyrath had survived the Mirror.
But survival alone would not guarantee peace.